I have a Squier Strat that was my first electric geetar. I never use it live for two reasons:

1. It feeds back like a fucker at high distortion and also sounds a bit weedy.
2. It struggles to hold its tuning.



Any advice please is welcome on two possible courses of action:

Replace the pickups.


Replace the neck (it feels very bendy and weak)



Any thoughts?

Hmmm... if you replace the pickups, you'll probabbly want/have to replace the pots and switches also, and if it goes out of tune, you'll want to get a better tremelo system/bridge and tuners. Then if you're also considering replacing the neck, you might end up keeping only the body. Is that worth it?

BTW I think a bendy neck might be because of the way it's joined to the body (3 of 4 screws) or maybe the truss rod isn't right.

First off, I'd have a professional luthier do a decent set-up, then decide if the instrument that gives you is worth working on.

I've considered doing the same with my old Ibanez roadstar, but the costs wound up higher than buying a new middle-priced guitar!

hectim said:

All good sense, of course.


A decent set-up could make all the difference. I'll let U know how I get on

IMO, save the money, buy a better guitar. If you dislike the neck and the pickups, there can't be much hope for it.

I upgraded to a Fender years ago, and I haven't regretted it once

Rowdy said:

Co-Sign

Smash it on stage in a Pete Townsend rage and then set the firewood on fire while dancing around it chanting, that's my favorite thing to do with $100 guitars

Or, hey, better yet, use it as your guitar to learn luthiering.

- Learn how to set up a guitar, learn how to replace pickups, do fancy wiring, (like where the middle tone knob will blend two pickups in or out of phase - it's cool to do) etc.

- Replace the tuners. They're cheap shit.

- Instead of replacing the pickups, (they're microphonic) learn how to soak them in wax, which will help isolate the pickup, reducing that wailing feedback you're talking about.

Smashing a guitar is cool. Learning how to upgrade, repair and restore an old useless guitar is cool as F#CK.


edit - not bashing any other suggestions, but I'm always blown away when I find that some kickass guitarist is playing a cheapo guitar - like - say, a HOHNER TELECASTER. It gives me hope that I don't have to blow $2000 on an axe to sound good.

It's your choice tho. Happy Hurlidays.
[Edited 12/17/04 10:46am]

I played a lot of guitars, and there is a difference between a $200 guitar and a $20,000 guitar especially in acoustics.

HOwever i've upgraded my squier and I love it

there is also some special connection between an instrument and the player, something in the wood or paint or metal


Dirt &EArthyvibes
http://www.dirt.bz